Moving slowly through the UK countryside

Tag Archives: gatekeeper

A few of the butterflies I saw on holiday in Wales, on the Ceredigion coast, and in gardens just inland in August. Click on any picture for a slide-show.

Comma butterfly at Cwm Cou, near Newcastle Emlyn

Gatekeeper butterfly at Llangrannog

Wall butterfly at Mwnt

Mating Gatekeeper butterflies at Llangrannog

Common Blue butterfly on Ragwort flower at Mwnt

Grayling butterfly on Thyme flower at Llangrannog

Rather faded Ringlet butterfly at Llangrannog

Small Tortoiseshell on Inula flower at Llanerchaeron

Magpie Moth at Llangrannog

The Grayling was a surprise – I thought I’d taken a picture of a Painted Lady until I checked it in the book. I did see Painted Ladies too, but not close up. I got quite excited about the Wall butterflies, as we don’t get them at home, and I can’t remember when I last saw one.

This was the best hunting though – I had to stalk it for ages, and I wasn’t sure what it was. Then it came and sat on my leg! I was so flustered that all I managed were several totally out of focus shots – but then it was kind enough to sit and pose for me – a Silver-Washed Fritillary, another new one for me.